Since the beginning of the 32nd SEA Games, table tennis has not brought any medals to the Vietnamese delegation. The mixed doubles event is also not expected much as Thailand and Singapore are strong teams.
But not being highly rated does not mean that success cannot be achieved. The pair of athletes Dinh Anh Hoang (21 years old) and Tran Mai Ngoc (19 years old) had to compete against strong opponents, so the pressure was not small. However, with great will and determination, the two Vietnamese players had a very good fourth set 14/12 against the very strong pair Zhe Yu Chew - Jian Zeng of Singapore in the mixed doubles final, thereby winning the final 3-1 to win the 32nd SEA Games gold medal.
Dinh Anh Hoang - Tran Mai Ngoc celebrate with historic gold medal
It can be said that the final match was a very dedicated, dramatic and suspenseful match. However, it must be admitted that in the fourth set of the final, the Vietnamese pair had a psychological advantage when leading the set 2-1. That helped the two Vietnamese players to be confident in defense and attack in the fourth set by launching very effective diagonal shots, which was the key to helping the duo Dinh Anh Hoang - Tran Mai Ngoc resolve the match better. Dinh Anh Hoang himself shared after the final match that both he and Mai Ngoc were a bit nervous after their opponents took the lead, at that time both of them just tried to hit the first ball carefully to bring glory home.
In addition, the 32nd SEA Games champion also thanked the entire coaching staff for helping him and Mai Ngoc bring home the gold medal for Vietnam: "This is the first time we have been paired up to play doubles at the SEA Games. We have competed in previous SEA Games but have not proven much to the coaching staff as well as Vietnamese table tennis fans. With this success, we are very happy to bring achievements to our fans and those who are passionate about table tennis."
The moment of 24 years of waiting bursts: Vietnamese table tennis wins historic gold medal
Traditionally, Singapore table tennis is very strong. However, this time Dinh Anh Hoang and Mai Ngoc have repeated history since Vu Manh Cuong and Ngo Thu Thuy won the SEA Games gold medal 26 years ago in Brunei in 1997. Vu Manh Cuong is also the coach of the two players at the Hanoi T&T table tennis club. Tran Mai Ngoc expressed her gratitude for the dedicated guidance of the Vietnamese table tennis legend: "I thank you, Mr. Vu Manh Cuong, for helping me to practice fully and improve my physical strength during the past time."
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